These days, what we know as barkcloth is a soft, thick, slightly textured fabric, so named because it has a rough surface, like that of tree bark. The roughness comes from a mix of medium and thick cotton threads across both the warp and weft, creating delectable slubby hand with a moderately loose weave and surprisingly full, fluid drape.
Full Answer
How do I know if barkcloth is vintage?
If barkcloth is being sold by the yard, and is very bright and new looking, it's probably a reproduction (which is great if you need durability!). When buying vintage barkcloth make sure the piece suits your needs.
Where can I find the best barkcloth designs?
For more modern (rather than tropical) barkcloth designs, Cloud 9 Fabrics is the maker to watch. It seems like every year, one of their designers comes out with a new batch of designs. These collections are time-limited, so if you want ’em, nab ’em. Right now, it’s Homestyle by Eloise Renouf .
How do I Clean my barkcloth?
Wash on gentle or permanent press in cool water with a mild detergent. Add fabric softener as desired. Dry on a low to medium heat. Feel free to iron barkcloth on high with steam.
What is true bark cloth?
True bark cloth is made from fibers pounded out of tree bark and woven into necessary items. It is often marked with tribal designs. The fabric was created in France, where, in the 20s there was a growing interest in tribal art.
How do I know if my fabric is barkcloth?
Today, what is commonly called barkcloth is a soft, thick, slightly textured fabric, so named because it has a rough surface like that of tree bark.
What is barkcloth vintage fabric?
Barkcloth is a textured woven, usually printed cotton fabric that was popular in the 1930s-40s and 50s as an interiors fabric. It is great for upholstery and drapery.
What is barkcloth fabric made of?
Barkcloth is a type of non-woven cloth produced by stripping, soaking and beating lengths of the inner bark from trees such as paper mulberry, ficus and elm.
What does barkcloth mean?
Definition of bark cloth 1 : a papery fabric made from the bark of certain trees usually by retting and beating specifically : tapa cloth. 2 : a loosely woven cotton or rayon cloth resembling linen but with a heavier fiber and used for drapes, slipcovers, or bedspreads.
Do they still make barkcloth?
Even so, today there seems to be more designs of barkcloth available than I can ever remember. In all, I count more than 150 different barkcloth fabrics on the market, from six companies, with mid century, contemporary, tropical and even googie designs.
What is Hawaiian fabric called?
KapaKapa is a fabric made by native Hawaiians from the bast fibres of certain species of trees and shrubs in the orders Rosales and Malvales.
Who created barkcloth?
The origin of Bark Cloth is traced back to the Ruler of the Buganda Kingdom, Kimera, who ruled from 1374 to 1404. At that time, the use of Bark Cloth was limited to the royal family.
Can you make clothes from tree bark?
Bark Cloth was made by peeling the inner bark off trees and beating it until it was soft. Bark Cloth is used for loincloths, skirts, draperies and wall hangings; in thick layers it makes an excellent bed. So ancient is the art of making the cloth, that it is deeply involved in religious and ceremonial life.
Which tree is used for making bark cloth?
mutuba treeEnter the bark cloth of the Baganda people. The Baganda of southern Uganda are the country's largest ethnic group. Since ancient times they've been making a venerated fabric by pounding the inner bark of the mutuba tree (Ficus natalensis).
Is bark cloth a textile?
Bark Cloth tree bark fleece, a textile without any additives. Exactly one cloth is created from the bark of one tree. The harvesting of the bark and its subsequent processing are carried out exclusively by handwork.
What is weaving used for?
Weaving is a process used to create fabric by interlacing threads. Ancient examples date back 12,000 years. Woven fabric fragments composed of natural fibers like linen and wool have been found in places as diverse as Egypt, Peru, China, and Turkey. Weaving uses two types of threads: the warp and the weft.
Barkcloth History
Named for its resemblance to the rough, nubby texture of tree bark, barkcloth fabric became a mid-century essential in nearly every home in America. It was initially created in the Pacific Islands by soaking and then beating the indigenous Tapa tree bark into a thin fabric which was then painted bright colors and used as clothing and wall hangings.
What to Look For
While these modern-day companies continue to make barkcloth or barkcloth-esque printed fabrics, there is no substitution for purists who demand the genuine article. Due to its pervading presence in homes back in the day, barkcloth is not hard find now at antique shows, estate sales, and flea markets or in online stores like eBay and Etsy.
Barkcloth Antique Marks
Brands and specific patterns are usually printed along the side of the fabric in dark lettering. As nice as it is to snag a brand like Waverly, the main draw for barkcloth collectors is the print itself, followed closely by condition. Unlike with other textiles, the brand is usually irrelevant.
What is bark cloth?
Jump to navigation Jump to search. For other uses, see Bark cloth (disambiguation). Type of non-woven textile. Barkcloth jacket from Kalimantan. Hawaiian kapa from the 18th century. Barkcloth or bark cloth is a versatile material that was once a treasure in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific.
Where did barkcloth originate?
The production of barkcloth may have originated in Southeastern China, in a region adjacent to Vietnam. South East China was the origins to the ancestors of many people, including those who migrated to Vietnam.
Where does bark cloth come from?
Barkcloth comes primarily from trees of the family Moraceae, including Broussonetia papyrifera, Artocarpus altilis, and Ficus natalensis. It is made by beating sodden strips of the fibrous inner bark of these trees into sheets, ...
Where are barkcloth beaters found?
Stone barkcloth beaters, in particular, are considered part of the "Austronesian toolkit." They have been found in abundance in the Pearl River basin in Southern China, which is considered to be part of the homelands of the Austronesian peoples before they started migrating into islands during the Austronesian expansion (c.3000 to 1500 BC). The oldest example, found in the Dingmo Site in Guangxi, has been dated back to ~5900 BC. They were spread along with Austronesian voyagers into Island Southeast Asia, Oceania (with the notable exception of Micronesia ), and Madagascar. Genetic studies on the paper mulberry populations in the Pacific have all confirmed close genealogical ties to populations in Taiwan and Southern China.
What distinguishes barkcloth from other fabrics?
What distinguishes “barkcloth” from other fabrics: As I understand it, the colors are typically printed onto ‘slubby’ or ‘nubbly’ cotton fabric that is typically fairly heavy weight (too heavy weight for apparel, for example).
What is barkcloth fabric?
Barkcloth is a wonderful fabric for making curtains and pillows for midcentury homes and tropical home tiki bars too. In this update to my original 2011 story, I scanned anew for companies still making barkcloth today.
When will Birch Fabrics have Barkcloth prints?
Update April 19 — I see that Birch Fabric will have 10 barkcloth designs featuring Charley Harper prints available in September 2019. These are all mid century modern motifs. I like the idea of a few of them for woodsy paneled rooms, or maybe kitchen valences.
Where is Trendtex barkcloth made?
To be sure, Trendtex Fabrics out of Hawaii is the big manufacturer of tropical design barkcloth. As I write this story, they show 106 different barkcloth designs (available in various fabric constructions/weights). That’s a mighty selection! See all the Trendtex barkcloth options on their website HawaiiBarkcloth.com here.
